Adjustable cleaning-brush.



PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907.

R. T. GILLESPIE. ADJUSTABLE CLEANING BRUSH.

'APPLICATION FILED NQV. 22, 1905.

2 SHEETS-5HEET 1.

LAQWAAAANQWNIEQNWA THE nomus PETERS co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

No 873,308 PATENTED DEG. l0, 1907. R. T. GILLBSPIE.

ADJUSTABLE CLEANING BRUSH. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I I a 36 15 Wizizesses: E$5 Inventor 6; CLQMW I 55 JX ROBERT T. GILLESBIE, OF BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

ADJUSTABLE CLEANING-BRUSH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

Application filed November 2'2, 1905. Serial 110.288.5372.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT T. GILLEsPIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomfield, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Cleaning-Brushes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention consists of a brush or cleaning implement adapted for use in the interior of hollow vessels or other articles such as jars, bottles, cruets and lamp chimneys, and it has for its object to provide a brush which may be readily inserted within the reduced neck of such a vessel and then adjusted so as to present the brushing element against the interior faces of the vessel at varying angles, or against the bottom portion. Ordinarily vessels of this character cannot be thoroughly cleaned with an ordinary stiff brushing implement having an inflexible brush stem, and my invention is designed to provide an article which may be readily and quickly adjusted by the hand while the brush is in the interior of the vessel being cleaned, so as to reach all of its parts.

Generally stated, the device consists of a longitudinal shank portion, provided at the holding end with a thumb receiving extremity, an adjustable rod preferably spring actuated having a movable terminal in adjustable proximity to said thumb terminal and adapted for cooperation therewith, together with ahinged brush at the other end of the shank, so connected with said rod that it may be adjusted at an angle to the shank by withdrawing the rod, or into alinement therewith by extending it, either positively by the finger or by means of a spring contained in the interior or incorporated with the shank in any suitable manner.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my improved cleaning brush for the interior of vessels. Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1, mainly in horizontal section. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the brush deflected at an angle to the main handle or frame. Fig. 4 is a partial view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified construction of the hand-holding end. Fig. 5 is an end view of Fig. 4. Figs. 6 and 7 are detailed views in perspective of the brush holding ferrule and its terminal hinge portion. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view through the brush, showing a modified conin Fig. 2.

struction providing for the removal of the brush ferrule. Fig. 9 is a vertical cross section on the line IX. IX. of Fig. 8. Figs. 10 and 11 are additional longitudinal sectional views showing further modifications. Fig. 12 is a detail View of the hinged extremity showing a clearance recess at one side.

2 represents the tubular shank of the device provided atits holding extremity with a thumb receiving extension 3 of spoon form adapted to receive the ball of the thumb. At the other end the shank is bifurcated to receive the hinge extremity of the brush holding ferrule 4 provided with the laterally extending bristles 5 and the end bristles 6. l/Vhile the bifurcated end of the shank and the bristle ferrule may be made in any suitable or convenient manner, I have shown the tubular shank 2 as being divided between its sides to provide a receiving recess 7 for the hinge extremity of the brush ferrule by separating the front end of the tube 2, flattening the sides, and then doubling them back upon the main shaft as indicated at 8, which construction greatly reinforces and strengthens the article at the point of the greatest strain. The brush ferrule 4 is provided with a rear hinge extremity 9, which may also be made in any suitable manner, but which is preferably made separate, connected to the ferrule in any convenient way as by rivets 10, and provided with a hinge pivoting opening 11, by which the brush extremity is hinged to the front end of the shank by pin 12, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

13 is a rod mounted within the tube 2 and connected with the ferrule extremity or link 9 below and somewhat forwardly of the pivotal bearing 11 as at 14, and with such relation to said pivotal bearing that when rod 13 is withdrawn the brush will be drawn back from its normal position to the position occupying an angle to the main shank, as shown in Fig. 3, said angle depending upon the extent to which the rod 13 is withdrawn.

15 is a compression spring mounted within tube 2, bearin backwardly a ainst a limiting abutment made in any suitab e manner as indicated at 16 and bearing at its forward end against a collar abutment or any suitable bearing portion 17 of rod 2, as clearly shown By this construction it will be seen that the spring will normally hold the brush extended, its outward travel being limited by a rear shoulder 18 at the handle end of the rod or in any other desired Way. The

brush as shown may be normally extended in alinement with the shank 2 or may be allowed to assume a position beyond the normal alinement as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, depending upon the position of the limiting shoulder 18.

At its rear extremity rod 13 is provided with a finger receiving loop 19 conveniently made of sheet metal attached to the rod, and said loop and the thumb receiving extremity 3 ordinarily have sufficient resiliency to keep them apart from contact with each other as in Fig. 1. The opposing faces of said finger and thumb holding parts are provided with corrugations 20, 20, of any suitable form, either V shaped, rounded or otherwise, so that when these parts are pressed together, as can be readily done by the thumb and finger, as indicated in Fig. 3, the movable portions may be held in contact with the immovable parts so as to temporarily constitute a relatively fixed construction. This feature of the invention is of great advantage in relieving the fingers from the strain of holding the parts after adjustment and will greatly facilitate the operation and handling of the device.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown the loop extremity 19 as being provided with a limiting hook 21 adapted to engage within an opening 22 in extremity 3, so as to loosely hold the parts together, and to permit of the performance of their functions. But for the purpose of positively separating the corrugated faces from locking engagement with each other, the hook 21 is provided with a spring extremity 23 adapted to bear against the inner side of the thumb receiving portion 3 so as to normally hold these elements apart.

The bristles 5 may be attached to the hold ing ferrule 4 in any desired way, as by means of wires 24 turned around each end of the ferrule or upwardly through holes therein, as indicated at 26 Fig. 11 and such arrangement will securely hold the bristles in place while providing for the desired distention and arrangement of the bristles. Other forms may also be adopted, as by forming longitudinal lateral grooves 27 Fig. 9, in the lower sides of the ferrule, along which the bristle-holding wires may be laid and secured in receiving notches at each end, or otherwise. The sheet metal of the ferrule may also be presseddownwardly at each end providing convenient holding recesses 28 for the wire as shown in Fig. 10, or these parts may be connected together in various other ways within the scope of the invention.

The end bristles 6 are positively held at the front of the ferrule by bending its tubu lar sides tightly around and clenching them upon the bristles as clearly indicated in the different figures, particularly Fig. 6. The ferrule is conveniently made of light sheet metal and is so formed that its front portion approximates a tubular form, while the back part is bent into rectangular form to embrace the hinge terminal or link 9, as will be read ily understood.

In Fig. 10 I have shown the hinge terminal 9 as being provided with a threaded portion 29 and at its front end with a strengthening extremity 29 whereby it is adapted to be tapped into the rear portion of-the ferrule or into an inserted block 30 therein, thereby allowing of the removal of the brush for renewal or change to a different form. This latter object may also be accomplished by providing the terminal 9 with a front extremity 31 having a spring portion 32 provided with a shoulder adapted to bear against a downwardly turned flange 33 of the ferrule, and to be disconnected by depressing the terminal lips 34 by any suitable means. This construction is convenient in providing for the quick engagement or disengagement of the brush from the main handle portion.

In Figs. 11 and 12 the terminal link 9 is shown as provided with pivoting cheeks 35, 35, at each side between which the front terminal of rod 13 is engaged by the pivotal pin, and for the purpose of providing clearance for the escape of dirt or foreign matter one of the cheeks 35 is cut out as indicated at 36, thus insuring free action at all times.

The operation of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, and it will be found to provide an efficient and convenient means for the objects in view. It may be changed or varied in different ways or in its detail construction by the skilled mechanic.

WVhat I claim is:

1. In a cleaning implement, the combination of a main shank portion provided with a thumb terminal, a pivoted brush, and an operating rod connected to the brush and having a finger terminal, said thumb and finger terminals having adjacent co-acting transversely corrugated faces adapted to be pressed together and to make interlocking engagement, substantially as set forth.

2. A cleaning implement comprising a main shank portion provided with a corrugated holding terminal at one end and a pivoted brush at the other end, and an operating rod connected to the brush and provided at the other end with a similarly corrugated holding terminal, and having a retracting spring, substantially as set forth.

3. A cleaning implement comprising a main shank portion having a spoon shaped corrugated thumb terminal at one end and a pivotally mounted cleaning brush at the other end, and an operating rod .connected to the brush for adjustment and provided at the other end with a corrugated locking face and a terminal finger loop, substantially as set forth.

4. A cleaning implement comprising a main shank portion having a spoon shaped corrugated thumb terminal at one end and a pivotally mounted cleaning brush at the other end, an operating rod connected to the brush for adjustment and provided. at the other end With a corrugated locking face and a terminal finger loop, and means for autorn atically extending the brush and for maintaining said holding portions out of engagement with each other, substantially as set forth.

5. In a cleaning device of the class described, the combination of a tubular shank provided with a bifurcated. extremity and a corrugated holding terminal, a brush having its rear end pivoted in said extremity, ari'opcrating rod contained Within the tubular shank, connected with said brush extremity and provided with a corrugated operating terminal, and an extending spring surrounding said rod, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a holding shank and an operating rod, of a brush consisting of a ferrule portion having longitudinal grooves, laterally extending bristles and longitudinally arranged holding Wires seated in said grooves and engaging the bristles and turned inwardly around the ferrule at each end, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a holding shank and an operating rod, of a brush consisting of a ferrule portion having laterally extending bristles and longitudinally arranged holding wires engaging the bristles and secured to the ferrule at each end, the brush also being provided with end tuft bristles, substantially as I set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT T. GILLESPIE. Witnesses:

ELOISE SoHwAB, HARRY G. WEEKS. 

